My Favorite Prisoner
by Shadow Wasserson
Summary: An intimate moment leads to Suki relieving some bad memories. Rated for implications.


**Disclaimer**: After all this time, you still think it's mine? Well, it's not. It's Nickelodeon's.

**A/N**: For all the people who thought Suki got off way too easy.

This is a new experiment in style for me. Please try to bear with it.

Takes place during 'The Southern Raiders.'

* * *

**My Favorite Prisoner**

"Argh! Zuko, leave me alone! Can't you see I'm trying to-"

"Sokka?"

"OH! Suki! I thought you were Zuko."

"Yeah. It's hard to tell us two apart."

"It's just, he was hanging around..."

"I noticed."

"Is he still out there?"

"I didn't see him."

"Oh good."

_sigh _"It's good to see you."

"Yeah. C'mere."

"Mmm…"

"Are… are you sure he's not out there?"

"Sokka~a! Will you stop thinking about _Zuko?_ Just for a second?"

"Sorry. It's that… we were talking, and he got me thinking about stuff…"

"What kind of stuff?"

"Old memories. Stuff I don't really like thinking about."

"You know what I do when that happens? Focus on the present. Like this…"

"Mmph!"

"mm…"

"Wow."

"Feel better?"

"Heeheeheeheehee."

"Good."

"Mmm…"

"Mmmmm"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Sokka…"

"Hey, can I…?"

"Oof."

"Oops. Here, let me…"

"Careful!"

"How do I…?"

"Stop pulling!"

"Sorry, I've never… I mean, not that I've never, I just…"

"Sokka, you're hopeless. Let me."

"I… I am not hopeless!"

"And you're adorable when you get flustered."

"Well, I…"

"…"

"…_oh_"

"It… it's alright."

"_ohhhhhh_"

"Mmmm-hmm."

"Wow."

_giggle_ "You like that?"

"I… I… gkk."

"Here."

"Oh Suki…"

"Hmmm."

"Mmmph."

"Mmmph. Sokka…"

"Wha… wait."

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it… your..."

"…"

"Suki… what happened?"

"It's nothing, really…"

"Does it hurt? I could ask Katara…"

"Not anymore. I mean, it was a while back…"

"When?"

"I… about two months ago."

"_Azula_."

"Yeah. Azula."

* * *

All she could see was dirt. Her nose was ground into it, facedown in it. She couldn't even lift her head. What was going on? Why couldn't she move? What had that girl done to her? She'd never even _heard_ of this kind of thing!

"Turn her over."

Strong, slender fingers slipped under Suki's stomach, and lifted until she was on her back, head lolling like a doll.

"What are we going to do with them, Azula?"

"We'll take them prisoner. They could be vanguards for Ba Sing Se's forces. And I'm _sure_ they have useful information. In fact…"

A metal, curl-toed boot came into Suki's view, and it nudged her cheek until she was looking upwards. She could see the face of the girl who paralyzed her, as well as the blue firebender, who was smiling like a serpent.

"You're the leader." It wasn't a question.

"Where are you from? You are not Ba Sing Se's usual defense unit. What is your rank? Who are your allies?"

Suki set her mouth in a firm line. If this firebender thought she was going to get _anything_ out of her…

"Are there more of you in the area? Tell me now, and things will go much easier for you."

Suki made no reply.

"I see." The firebender's face left Suki's view, and the girl in pink followed her exit with her eyes. "Mai," came the firebender's voice, from out of view. "Give me one of your knives."

There was a pause, and then: "I'm not going to get it dirty. Just give it to me."

The firebender's face came back into view, holding a small throwing dagger. Suki gritted her teeth and braced herself for the blow, but instead of stabbing her, the firebender lit a fire in her palm and held the knife over it, slowly rotating it in the flames. After a few moments, it began to glow red. The firebender's eyes gleamed.

"Prop her up."

"A-Azula, I'm not sure…"

"Do it, Ty Lee."

The hands slid under Suki's head and upper back, and lifted her until she was upright, then held her there, keeping her from slumping over. She could see better now, and saw the rest of her unit, lying limply on the ground. She heard the fabric of her dress tear.

"Who do you answer to?"

Suki closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, but she still made a small sound when the red-hot knife was pressed flat against her skin.

"_Suki!"_ She heard one of her girls cry out. Suki wanted to reassure them, but she was fairly certain that if she opened her mouth she would start screaming. She'd just have to trust in the girls' training.

"Who are your allies?"

The knife pressed down again, in a new spot, and Suki ground her teeth, unwilling to give the horrible firebender any satisfaction.

"Azula… I... I don't…"

"Be quiet, Ty Lee. I'm working."

The knife came down again and again, never cutting, but inflicting pain regardless. Tears leaked from the corners of Suki's eyes and her breathing became ragged, but she didn't say a word.

Eventually, the firebender seemed to tire of her interrogation, and ordered the slightly trembling pink girl to lay Suki down on her side. Then, she dragged Nasha, a member of Suki's unit, into view. Nasha was the youngest in the unit, only fourteen, and looked terrified, her eyes flicking from side to side.

"It's simple," said the firebender, who was starting to look rather annoyed. "You will tell me everything, eventually. And, if for some reason you do not, I will take you back to the base, where we have much more _refined_ equipment. So you _will_ give in. The only question is how much you suffer in the meantime."

The knife disappeared out of view, and Nasha's face twisted. Suki bit her lip.

The firebender was looking at Suki's face, scrutinizing her expression intently. She abruptly moved to Nasha's head, the knife hovering over her face.

"Answer me. Or she loses an eye."

"Your role as a leader," Suki's father had once said. "Is one of great accountability. What befalls your squad is your responsibility, no one else's."

_Spirit of Kyoshi, guide me,_ Suki thought. _Give me strength._

"We're from Kyoshi Island."

Suki heard a gasp from her unit, and shame flooded her. She bowed her head. How could she even look her girls in the eyes?

And all she could see was the firebender's grin.

* * *

"Spirits. Suki…"

"It's alright. I'm fine. I mean… it's healed now, they're just scars. Just marks."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"What… is there anything I can do?"

"Sokka... I don't know what's going to happen, and I don't know if we're going to make it, and I don't know _anything_. But I know I love you, and I know that I _want_ you, and I don't want to talk about the past anymore. What's done is done."

"Suki…"

"Please, let's just… just…"

"Suki, ah, don't cry, please…"

"Hold me. Please?"

"Okay… okay. I'll hold you."


End file.
